St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-23

"The highest price that I ever knew a
single fowl to bring was $3.50. This was
paid for the champion Plymouth Rock
cockerel at the New Orleans Exposition
two years ago. 1t was raised by Hon.
| Sid COnger, of Indiana, who divi led his
time between his poultry farm and the
State Senate"
The above remark was made to a re-
porter by Mr.. J. Frank Clark, vice
president of the New York Poultry Elk
change.
Sales of fancy fowls at high prices"
MIR. Clark continued, ARE not so rare as
many people suppose At the last poul-
bilt paid $25 for Plymouth Rock cock
ETY., numbering l.,e birds, sold at from
$50 to 800. Five buff Cochins were sold
for $75, and the late Miss Catharine
for 500. | know gentleman that went
to the Chicago show ready to pay 5000
for the first premium pen of Plymouth
Rocks five fowls, but he came away with
out them. The owners price was 81 900.
htIC arc vi vi DdIltdtuS
being sold for as high as $50 each. Taking
into consideration their weight, which is
less than two pounds, this is rather dear
chicken meat. The special value in this
case was due to the bird having won first
premium at the Crystal Palace and other
English shows. The value of thorough
bred fowls depends on their comparative
merit, which is determined by system
nj f,,lr ~,
fowl with standard of excellence which
allows 100 points for perfection, and de-
ducts therefrom for every fault or def
cheney that the fowl possesses. 1t re-
quires careful and scientific breeding to
produce fowls that will score ninety or
more points, and such birds always
sell at good prices. Rare specimens scor-
ing from ninety-six to ninetyeight points
are literally worth their weight in gold.
There is fashion in fowls as in most
other things, and very changeable
fashion it is, too. Two years ago the
Wyandottes were all the rage, now the |
boom is in Minorcas Within the past
year over 500 Minorcas have been bought
IN England and brought over here at
cost of IS to $37 so each There is now
corner in these famous fowls. They are
an old English breed, but have been in
obscurity for number of years. and few
of them have been raised. Every nook .
and corner of old England has been
searched by speculative fanciers, and
every Minorca purchased regardless of .
cost and held for breeding purposes, and
for the sale of eggs at from IS to $40 for
a setting of thirteen. How the boom
started is not very clear, but it is certain
that the Minorcas have been gradually
growing in favor on the other side for
some time, and American breeders, seeing
The popularity they were bound to attain,
went in with a rush, captured every
available specimen and now control the
market"
what other fowls bring high prces?"
well, there are Iokohamas or Japan
ese long-tailed fowls. Only two or three
pairs of them have been imported, and
hey are valued at from SEQ to $50 pair
The tail of the male bird often reaches
ength of two feet, and his value in
'reases in proportion. Another rarity is
he Royal Pekin bantam. These little
birds have quite a remarkable history.
They are Chinese, and were part of the
polls taken by English officers when
hey sacked the summer palace at Pekin,
Turing the Anglo-French expedition of
$50. They are a perfect miniature of
he buff Cochins, and about as handsome .
S any variety of bantams. They are
worth from $40 to $25 a pair, though
ingle specimens have brought as high !
s $50. But there is one kind of fowl {
hat has without doubt caused the trans &
er of more money than all the above t
arieties combined, and that is the pit 7
anne. These birds are bred to fight and t
re seldom sold, as no one wants to buy
he poor ones, and the good ones will 8
ring in more money by winning battles
IAN in any other way. Occasionally, r
owever, a game cock that has made t
God record changes hands, the consid- ;
ration in such instances reaching to j
undreds of dollars, but for obvious rea- Il
ons is never made public. '-New York i
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